NFL Power Rankings: Stafford Seeing Ghosts?

Eventually, one would think the NFL would come back to some sense of normalcy. Once again, the NFL was a nightmare for anyone in a survivor pool or anyone trying to bet on some games. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Dolphins, the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to Taylor Heinicke and the Detroit Lions found a way to not lose while remaining winless. After another “what the hell?!” week full of weird and wacky storylines, here are your updated NFL Power Rankings for Week 11.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

1) Tennessee Titans (8-2) (Last Week: 3)

The Tennessee Titans were outgained by over 100 yards and only scored a touchdown on two of five red zone trips. With of all that against them, they still found a way to edge out the New Orleans Saints. This game should’ve been put out of reach much earlier, but without Derrick Henry and only amassing 66 total rushing yards in a run-heavy offense, this is a great win. The Titans have an NFL-best six-game win streak heading into what should be a cakewalk matchup with the Houston Texans.

2) Green Bay Packers (8-2) (2)

Aaron Rodgers was not his typical self, Aaron Jones and receivers were dropping passes and Mason Crosby missed another field goal. The Green Bay Packers still not only won by three possessions, but they blanked the Seattle Seahawks in Russell Wilson’s return. Wilson didn’t look right, but the defense deserves its fair share of credit too. This defense, as depleted as it is, has given up the fewest points through their first four home games since 1969. While the offenses they’ve played haven’t been great, the Packers’ defense still deserves some credit.

3) Buffalo Bills (6-3) (7)

Well, the Buffalo Bills are back. After two weeks where they looked like they were sleepwalking, the Bills eviscerated the New York Jets, 45-17. Not only did Josh Allen and the offense get back on track with just under 490 yards of offense, but the defense forced five turnovers as well. We know what the defense will give us, but this team needs Allen to return to his MVP form to have a real shot. This week against the Jets was a step in the right direction.

4) Arizona Cardinals (8-2) (1)

It did not matter that Colt McCoy was the starting quarterback over a banged-up Kyler Murray. No matter what, the Cardinals would’ve gotten demolished by Carolina in this game. A team with the talent of the Cardinals cannot lose to a team led by P.J. Walker and Cam Newton. Arizona could only muster up 169 yards of offense and only held the ball for just over 22 minutes. Could this be the start of another mid-to-late-season collapse for the Cardinals?

5) Dallas Cowboys (7-2) (9)

The Dallas Cowboys decided to also join the Bills this week and wake up after a bad loss the week prior. Matt Ryan and the Falcons were flying high and overachieving before they lost 43-3 in Dallas. Dak Prescott finally looked like his old self, and they ran away with this even with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott combining for 83 yards on 25 carries. Dallas has a big-time showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the surging Chiefs this Sunday.

6) Los Angeles Rams (7-3) (4)

Remember when the Eagles put together a loaded roster headlined by an aging Nnamdi Asomugha and they were hyped up to be a contender? The Los Angeles Rams are the latest example of talent on paper not being a sure thing on the field. Matthew Stafford looked shaky again and the Rams were ran out of Santa Clara by the 49ers. The defense looked rusty at best and the offense was anemic all game. The Rams’ strength of victory is fourth-worst in the NFL, and that’s with having the fourth-easiest schedule in the league as well. Los Angeles has a bye before a big matchup in Green Bay that has massive playoff implications.

7) Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) (12)

Unfortunately for the rest of the AFC, it appears as if the Kansas City Chiefs have awoken from their slumber. After scraping by at home against a Packers team without Aaron Rodgers, Kansas City dropped 41 on the Raiders in Las Vegas. While the defense still looked exploitable at times, there was no way anybody was beating the Chiefs when they have over 500 yards. If Mahomes can recapture his past magic, the AFC West title isn’t going anywhere. Look for them to keep rising in the NFL Power Rankings.

8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) (5)

Tampa Bay had an entire week to prepare for Washington. Not only did they lose, but they had just six points at the half, and they lost by 10. While Tom Brady bounced back a little bit in the second half, he was atrocious in the first, creating a hole too big to climb out of. Although Brady deserves some blame, this defense is not the same one that the Buccaneers brought to the Super Bowl last season. If they are giving up just under 30 to Washington, they might not win a game against some of the elite offenses they’ll have to face in the playoffs.

9) New England Patriots (6-4) (13)

I think I speak for everyone when I say that nobody saw this coming. While some expected the New England Patriots to beat the Browns, nobody expected them to beat them by 38 points. Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson were extremely efficient and the defense did what it always does. Although Baker Mayfield getting hurt didn’t help, the game was virtually over by the time he left. New England has won four straight and has an easy matchup against Atlanta this Thursday.

10) Baltimore Ravens (6-3) (6)

In what was maybe the ugliest football game of the year, the Baltimore Ravens were shown up by the Miami Dolphins. Miami brought in a bold strategy of blitzing Lamar Jackson consistently and making him beat them. Surprise, surprise, the quarterback who scored a six on the Wonderlic Test seemingly couldn’t see it coming at times, and at other times, simply missed the throw. While a fumble returned for a touchdown didn’t help their cause, the Dolphins revealed some massive flaws in their run-heavy offense, leading to Baltimore falling in the NFL Power Rankings.

11) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1) (10)

12) New Orleans Saints (5-4) (15)

13) Las Vegas Raiders (5-4) (11)

14) Los Angeles Chargers (5-4) (14)

15) Indianapolis Colts (5-5) (19)

16) Cleveland Browns (5-5) (8)

17) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) (16)

18) San Francisco 49ers (4-5) (22)

19) Denver Broncos (5-5) (17)

20) Minnesota Vikings (4-5) (20)

21) Chicago Bears (3-6) (18)

22) Carolina Panthers (5-5) (26)

23) Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) (25)

24) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) (21)

25) Seattle Seahawks (3-6) (23)

26) New York Giants (3-6) (24)

27) Washington Football Team (3-6) (29)

28) Miami Dolphins (3-7) (30)

29) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) (28)

30) New York Jets (2-7) (27)

31) Houston Texans (1-8) (31)

32) Detroit Lions (0-8-1) (32)